My first completely finished ornaments

I added the finishing touches this morning to two of my mostly finished ornaments.  Most of the work I did over Thanksgiving.  So all I needed to do was add the little bling at the bottom, trim off all the excess threads and they are done.

I think this will be my plan of attack -- finish the one that are mostly finished first and then go on to the totally unfinished ones.  Hmmmm ... sounds like a plan.

Thanks for looking!

Some unfinished finishes that need finished

Well, here they are ... you will notice that some are actually partially finished and don't even need much effort to be completely finished.

Most of my stuff is small - ornaments and such.  Maybe this weekend I will work on the ornies in the bottom picture.  They just need some  beads or something added to the trim.  Well, that's the plan ......

Oh the POSSIBILITIES !

Thanks, Diane. This is simply brilliant. I have a pathetic collection of things needing finishing, and most of them are small -- ie. I should have been doing these myself for years. Apparently I'm a lazy stitcher.

I'm not sure what my attack plan will be, and I'm not even certain how many items I have hanging about. Among the ones I remember are:
1. dozens of ornaments and other smalls like--










2. needlepoint clock inserts--- waiting for me to find both the inserts and the clocks in the same place in space and time --



3. a couple SBs who languish because as much as I love the Jill mats, they are cut too thin to work in regular frames. I keep debating the wisdom of having these framed with copper tape so they all match or having special filler mats cut so they can fit in real frames .....







4. Mirabilla's Halloween Fairy -- she's stalled because I can't for hte life of me find the right frame.


5. Heritage Stichcraft's Tudor Rose


6. BBD's My Quaker House -- also waiting for the perfect frame


7. Midsummer Night's Quaker Meeting House -- uess what... waiting for the right frame...


I really am looking forward to getting some of these things well and truly finished!

happy finishing to all and to all a good night,
Ruth

Goals and A Couple of Finishes

Thank you, Diane, for putting this blog together. I look forward to sharing my progress, frustrations and triumphs, and offering encouragement and congratulations to fellow stitchers that, like me, would rather stitch than finish.

I set a goal for myself of finishing two of my finishes, one framed and one "other" type of finish, each month. I have quite a number of finishes, exact number unknown at this time. Here's a pic of the tote where I store my finishes while they are awaiting final finishing.

I guess, in the next few weeks, I'll need to inventory said projects and plan a bit for what I want to finish this year.

Yeah, the tote is pretty full!

Last weekend, I pulled out two stitched Blackbird Designs, dug through my stash to find backing material, trims, buttons and charms and after a few hours, I had the following results: 

'Small Token"
Reward of Merit Pincushion from Blackbird Designs
Stitched using Vintage (?) 32 count linen and recommended overdyed floss. Finished using the fabic in the background as the backing and lace trim from my stash. 

"Bluebird"
Reward of Merit Pincushion from Blackbird Designs
Stitched using recommended linen and overdyed floss. Finished using the fabic in the background as the backing and buttons and charms from my stash. (May add the tan rick-rack as an edging. )

It feels good to have a couple of new finished finishes. For my next finish, I'm going to finally paint the frame  that I made for my BoaF Sally Spencer Sampler. Then I need to cut a piece of form core and lace the sampler to it so it is ready to pop in the frame after the paint and finish coat are dry. By next weekend, I could have a new framed sampler! Wish me luck.

I'm so glad to be here. I'm looking forward to see how everyone is going to pick the projects to finish and the techniques that they use.

Happy finishing!
Robin (Samplerbird)
http://stitchesandcatsohmy.blogspot.com/

Two down and....still 90 to go ~ and a request

I'm pretending that if you say that part about how many to go really fast it doesn't sound so bad.  :o)  I found two more old stitches, so even though I've managed to frame one from the list and ornament-ify another, I'm holding at 90. 

Golden Poppies was framed this weekend and is hanging on the wall!(!!!)  This was a UFO for more years than I should admit.  Suffice it to say, I started it right around the time the magazine it was published in was released (Cross Stitch and Country Crafts M/A 1986) and it languished, roughly half-stitched, in a box for over 20 years until I picked it up last spring and finished the stitching.  I couldn't find any counting errors, so I have no idea why I put it down in the first place.  When the stitching was finished it was relegated to the pile, even though I had already purchased the frame. I was too lazy to cut the mat/mounting board and do the lacing - which took all of about 45 minutes, when it came right down to it.  Most of that 45 minutes was just fussing at it trying to get it perfectly straight and smooth over a layer of batting when lacing (although failing, it's close enough for government work).  There's really no good excuse for any part of why this took so long.  Enough build up, here's the pic:



Golden Poppies
Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine, March/April 1986 issue
Stitched on 14 ct. fiddler's weave aida
DMC colors as charted, backstitching and initial omitted by choice
Ribba frame from Ikea

 Both of my kids actually noticed (!) and commented on how much they like this hanging on the wall.  :o)

My second finish was stitched in 2009 and I had already laced the front and glued up the back before it went to the pile.  Once again, I don't know why I did that.  Whip-stitching it together took no time at all, and the ribbon was in my stash.  It didn't take long to finish up, either, once I set my mind to it. The hardest part was waiting for the glue to dry!  Judging by the green carpet here at work, this is going to look great hanging on the tree next Christmas:

Christmas Joy
Angel Stitchin'
Published in 2003 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue
Stitched on 32 ct. Cafe Mocha linen
Unknown overdyed threads from stash



Backing fabric from stash
Edged with feather-edged burgundy ribbon by Offray
Bow and hanger in same color 6 mm single-sided satin ribbon

I doubt I'll be able to make any more progress on the POSSIBIL(I)TIES this month.  My kids and I are going on a cruise the last week of the month and there's much preparation and packing that needs to be done before we go. Getting all remaining traces of Christmas packed away and out of sight and getting the house straightened up so I won't be dreading coming home to a mess will be highest priority during non-work hours for the next 11 days.  I don't expect to get much stitching done either, except what can be fit into my lunch hours - after I eat, of course! 

I'll be checking in here as often as posssible and sending out invitations as I receive requests until we leave.  I don't know if we'll have internet access on the trip.  Here is my request: If anyone would be interested in having administration privileges to keep things running smoothly in my absence and just as a general back up, please let me know.  I've seen a lot of groups fail because there was only one administrator and they disappeared without explanation.

Thank you!

Diane

Hello!

What a wonderful idea.  I have a stack of unfinished stitchings (though not nearly as much as you do, Diane) that I just never get around to doing. 

Right now I'm knee deep in the Crazy 15 Challenge but as soon as Jan 15th comes and goes, I plan to take stock of my unfinished things.  It would be really cool if I could get maybe 2 or 3, but definitely 1, finished per month.

Later!

Diane's list

At current count, my starting list stands at 90 items.  If When I find more and as I complete the stitching on new projects, I'll edit this post.  As I work on items, I plan to highlight them, and when they are FINISH-FINISHED, I'll strike through them and blog the results.  Sounds like a plan. :)

Ornaments:

1. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (1 of 9)
2. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (2 of 9)
3. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (3 of 9)
4. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (4 of 9)
5. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (5 of 9)
6. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (6 of 9)
7. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (7 of 9)
8. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (8 of 9)
9. Cool Christmas - Fresh Threads (9 of 9)
10. Retro Christmas Tree - Sharon Pope
11. Winter Houses - Industrioushead
12. Home is Best - Primitive Bettys 
13. House on a Hill - Chartmakers 
14. Be My Love - Passione Ricamo
15. Pinkeep d'octobre - Maryse
16. Snowy Pines - Little House Needleworks
17. Joy - Little House Needleworks
18. Winter's Eve - Prairie Schooler
19. My Favorite Time - Lizzie*Kate
20. O Holy Night - The Needle's Notion 
21. Ho! Ho! Ho! - 2006 Cross Stitch calendar
22. Madonna and Child - Stitch 'N Hang chart
23. Silent Night - Heidi
24. Sleigh Rides - Heidi
25. Christmas Ornament 2004 - Blackbird Designs
26. Christmas Ornament 2004 (modified) - Blackbird Designs
27. Needleworker's Pocket - With My Needle
28. Herald Angels - Prairie Schooler
29. In a Stable - Shepherd's Bush
30. Rejoice (natural) - 4 My Boys
31. Rejoice (white) - 4 My Boys
32. All is Calm - SamSarah
33. Christmas SAL - Tiziana
34. 2003 JCS Joy Ornament - Angel Stitchin'
35. Gifts - Melissa Dunajski w/beads
36. Gifts - Melissa Dunajski w/beads (Blue)
37. Joy - Lizzie*Kate
38. Intermediate Whitework - Teresa Wentzler
39. Beginner Whitework - Teresa Wentzler
40. Be My Valentine Quaker Style - Aury

Stockings:

1. Joi's stocking - Cross Stitch and Country Crafts
2. Charlton's stocking - Cross Stitch and Country Crafts
3. Christian's stocking - Cross Stitch and Country Crafts

To Be Framed:

1. Home of a Needleworker (Too!) - Little House Needleworks
2. Blackberry Jam - Sweetheart Tree
3. The Counting House - Little House Needleworks
4. Imperial Dragon
5. Joy Sampler - Lizzie*Kate
6. Signs of Winter - Bent Creek
7. Be Calm - Shepherd's Bush
8. Redbird Sampler - Bent Creek
9. Snowflakes - Little House Needleworks
10. Housework Makes You Ugly - Sisters and Best Friends
11. Housework Never Killed Anyone - Lizzie*Kate
12. Red Bird Fraktur - Knotted Tree NeedleArt
13. Withering Tulips - Carriage House Samplings
14. Happy Birthday - Blackbird Designs
15. Acorn Hill - Little House Needleworks
16. Father's Day Sampler (reframe)
17. Super Dad Sampler
18. Spring Blessings - Sandra Cozzolino
19. Presbyterian Cross (needlepoint mom stitched for dad) (reframe) 
20. Bless This House (Goodwill rescue) (reframe)
21. Sailboats (Goodwill rescue) (reframe)
22. Snow White - Little House Needleworks
23. Happy Holidays - Subversive Cross Stitch (without the subversion)
24. Hearts and Flowers - Carriage House Samplings
25. The Golden Poppy - Cross Stitch and Country Crafts

Other or Undecided Finishing:

1. Moons (quilt) -5 squares stitched for a planned baby quilt before and right after my daughter was born... in 1988
2. Country Kitchen Shelf (pillow)
3. Clean Your Room - Sister's and Best Friends (door hanger)
4. Beeskep Alphabet (tin topper - outside done, inside gave me grief so I set it aside)
5. Glove Whimsy - Wire Whimsy (hanging decoration)
6. Fair and Square exchange squares from Georgie
7. Fair and Square exchange squares from Lisa V.
8. Fair and Square exchange squares from Sonda
9. Fair and Square exchange squares from Kendra
10. Fair and Square exchange squares from Jill
11. Fair and Square exchange squares from Mairi
12. Halloween Cat
13. Seasonal Angels - Carla Acosta
14. Floral "B"
15. Home is Where You Hang Your Heart (pillow - just needs to be stuffed and sewn shut)
16. Cat on a Rug stitched by mom
17. Teddy Bear in Tub
18. Angel on printed aida
19. Carousel Zebra
20. Flip Flops Rock - Sandra Cozzolino
21. Happy Valentine's Day - Sandra Cozzolino
22. Art Deco face on red aida
23. Quitting Time
24. Good Things snippet - Lizzie Kate (mattress pincushion 1)
25. Good Things snippet - Lizzie Kate (mattress pincushion 2)
26. Alphabet pincube

The weekend is coming.  Let's see what I can get accomplished before Monday!

Diane